Bideford

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

A by-law aimed at stopping nude bathing on Devon beaches has been adopted by Devon County Council.

The move follows complaints from people living at South Devon coast resorts.
Making the recommendation to the Legal and General Purposes Committee, the Council said that complaints had been received about indecent behaviour adjacent to Slapton Sands. They considered that the by-law should apply to all rural areas in Devon.
Under the suggested by-law it will become an offence punishable by a fine not exceeding £5 for any person in any street or public place wilfully and indecently to expose himself.
The law will apply in the rural districts of Axminster, Barnstaple, Bideford, Broadwoodwidger, Crediton, Holsworthy, Honiton, Kingsbridge, Newton Abbot, Okehampton, Plympton, St Thomas, South Molton, Tavistock, Tiverton, Torrington and Totnes. It is along lines similar to those already applying in the urban areas.

The full Gazette article is dated 25 January 1963

‘Just What We Wanted’ Says New Co-owners

A Bideford couple, Mr and Mrs Alan Nichols, and their 11 year old son Mark, are now living in the first of 12 house which have been built at East-the-Water, Bideford, in North Devon’s first co-ownership scheme.

They were handed the keys to their new home at Alver Green, Alverdiscott Road, by Mr Jeremy Thorpe, MP, for North Devon, in an opening ceremony attended by civic representatives both from Bideford and from Barnstaple, where it is hoped to put in hand a similar scheme shortly.
The Nichol’s family formerly lived in Ashley Terrace, Bideford, running a small shop and dairy.
Welcoming Mr Thorpe, the Mayor of Bideford, Mr Jim Needs, said everyone realised the scheme was an important one but in years to come it would become even more important than was at present realised because it would enable so many people to enjoy home ownership.
Bideford Council could claim to have played a part in the Alver Green project in that they had sold the land concerned to the corporation – one of the rare times that the Council had sold housing land, he pointed out.
The full Gazette article is dated 12 January 1973

The Cynosur

Bridge Reference at Manor Court - Presentations to Brig Peto and Lord Audley

Thoughts at Saturday’s Manor Court ceremony were very much focussed on Bideford’s 700 year old bridge which, in February last, was one of the three bridges in the country to be excluded from the provisions of the Trunk Roads Bill.
The Lord Lieutenant (Earl Fortescue) and civic visitors from Exeter, Barnstaple and Torrington were among those present.
On the table in front of the members of the Town Council, sitting as Lords of the Manor was Ald F E Whiting’s handsome model of the Bridge. While the Manor Court Jury were in another room considering their presentments, Ald Whiting gave a very interesting talk on the history of the bridge.
At the conclusion of the Court ceremony a presentation was made by Mr A K Chope on behalf of Bideford Bridge Trustees, of a pair of candlesticks fashioned from oak of the original 13th century bridge, to Brig C H M Peto, MP for the North West Devon Division. A similar presentation is being forwarded to Lord Audley.
The full Gazette article is dated 30 April 1946